Question 1
"Impatient" — what does the prefix 'im-' mean here?
💡 'Im-' is a negating prefix, similar to 'un-' or 'in-'.
Year 5 — Vocabulary
Word building
Build and understand more complex words using prefixes and suffixes, including ones that change meaning subtly (like 'im-', 'in-', '-ology', '-ist').
Understand
PREFIXES change a word's meaning by attaching to the front (e.g. 'im-' meaning 'not', as in 'impossible'). SUFFIXES attach to the end and often change a word's word class or add meaning (e.g. '-ology' meaning 'the study of', as in 'biology').
“'Immature' (im- + mature = not mature), 'geologist' (geo- + -ology + -ist = someone who studies the Earth).”
Breaking down 'geologist' into its parts — 'geo' (earth), '-ology' (study of), '-ist' (a person who does) — shows how combining word parts builds precise meaning, rather than needing to memorise every word separately.
Spot it
What does this prefix or suffix mean?
Question 2
"Biologist" — what does the suffix '-ist' mean here?
💡 '-ist' commonly means a person associated with a field, e.g. 'artist', 'scientist'.
Question 3
"Psychology" — what does the suffix '-ology' mean here?
💡 '-ology' means 'the study of', so 'psychology' means 'the study of the mind'.
Think about it
Why is understanding common prefixes and suffixes more useful than memorising every difficult word individually?
Try it
Work out the meaning using word parts.
You encounter the unfamiliar word 'irregular'.
Question 1
Using your knowledge of prefixes, what does 'irregular' most likely mean?
💡 'ir-' works like 'im-' and 'in-' — think about what those negating prefixes mean.
Practise
Work out the meaning of each word using its prefix or suffix.
Question 1
"Illegal" most likely means...
Question 2
"Zoologist" most likely refers to a person who studies...
Question 3
"Technology" combines 'techno-' (skill/craft) with '-ology', so it most likely means...
Question 4
In one word, what part of a word attaches to the FRONT to change meaning?
💡 It's the opposite of a suffix.
Question 5
"Artist" uses the suffix '-ist' to mean...
Question 6
Why is it useful to recognise that 'im-', 'in-', and 'ir-' can all mean 'not'?
Apply
Read the passage, then answer the questions below.
The archaeologist studied the immature bones carefully, noting they were irregular in shape. She suspected this was evidence of an illness common in the biology of the era, something a geologist colleague later confirmed by examining the surrounding rock layers.
Question 1
What does 'archaeologist' most likely mean, based on its word parts?
💡 Think about '-ologist' and what you already know about 'archaeology' as a subject.
Question 2
What does 'immature' mean in this context?
Question 3
What word in the passage means 'not regular in shape'?
💡 It uses the prefix 'ir-' meaning 'not'.
Challenge
Choose three suffixes from this lesson ('-ology', '-ist', or a negating prefix) and build three new words, explaining each word's meaning using its parts.
Review
A quick mastery check — 3 questions.
Question 1
"Inaccurate" most likely means...
Question 2
The suffix '-ology' means...
Question 3
Understanding word parts helps you...
Want to practise building words from prefixes, suffixes and roots? Try the word-family builder →